The Condition of Our State Highways

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allan

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#2709101 18-May-2021 16:55

Timely topic. I've made a couple of trips up and down SH3 from Wellington to New Plymouth in the last couple of weeks and commented to my passenger about a couple of things:

1. The poor condition of SH3 on the northern outskirts of Hawera where the seal is compressed into distinct tracks with a hump in the middle. This can only be caused by trucks too heavy for the underlying road surface surely. Logging trucks or milk tankers (of which there are a huge number of the latter in the area) perhaps?

2. The width of the new bridge over the swamp land south of Foxton. It seems extremely narrow for a brand new bridge. I appreciate that it doesn't need to carry cyclists because of the separate ground-level cycle path, but even so, it feels much narrower than I would have expected.

3. Oh and a third thing on the subject of never doing it right the first time - yet another chunk of the Kapiti expressway being dug up and resealed.

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#2709103 18-May-2021 17:03

Ever wondered why the posh suburbs have manicured greenery crewcut trees and perfect roads.

kiwifidget

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#2709104 18-May-2021 17:04

Stuff all vehicles do 30kph over recently resealed roads either.

By the time the road works signs are removed the seal is already coming off.

Delete cookies?! Are you insane?!

Technofreak

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#2709112 18-May-2021 17:20

K8Toledo:

SH3 to New Plymouth used to be pretty bad, particularly through the gorge.

I live in Northland. Secondary highways up here would be some of the poorest roads in NZ. Generally unsealed, rough & potholes galore.

Around four years ago a slip closed one lane of the main rd between SH1 & Mangawhai. It took two years for the council to repair it.

Work takes me all over Kaipara region. My car (BMW 530i) requires a wheel balance every 3mths because potholes and stones keep moving the weights around.

Yesterday the front shocks were replaced......to quote my mechanic "they were absolutely blown".

NZ is a small country with limited resources. Roads are very, very, expensive to build and maintain,.

The road through the Awakino Gorge has never been all that flash but I don't think it's deteriorated to the extent in recent times that some other roads have. Thank God the tunnel bypass is not too far away from being finished. The Mt Messenger bypass can't come soon enough either.

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Technofreak

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#2709115 18-May-2021 17:23

allan: Timely topic. I've made a couple of trips up and down SH3 from Wellington to New Plymouth in the last couple of weeks and commented to my passenger about a couple of things:

1. The poor condition of SH3 on the northern outskirts of Hawera where the seal is compressed into distinct tracks with a hump in the middle. This can only be caused by trucks too heavy for the underlying road surface surely. Logging trucks or milk tankers (of which there are a huge number of the latter in the area) perhaps?

2. The width of the new bridge over the swamp land south of Foxton. It seems extremely narrow for a brand new bridge. I appreciate that it doesn't need to carry cyclists because of the separate ground-level cycle path, but even so, it feels much narrower than I would have expected.

3. Oh and a third thing on the subject of never doing it right the first time - yet another chunk of the Kapiti expressway being dug up and resealed.

SH3 between New Plymouth and Wellington is a dream compared to going north towards Hamilton.

Yep, experienced the Kapiti Expressway a couple of weeks ago. Can't help wondering that perhaps it's another penny wise pound foolish example.

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K8Toledo

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#2709305 18-May-2021 20:39

Technofreak:

K8Toledo:

SH3 to New Plymouth used to be pretty bad, particularly through the gorge.

I live in Northland. Secondary highways up here would be some of the poorest roads in NZ. Generally unsealed, rough & potholes galore.

Around four years ago a slip closed one lane of the main rd between SH1 & Mangawhai. It took two years for the council to repair it.

Work takes me all over Kaipara region. My car (BMW 530i) requires a wheel balance every 3mths because potholes and stones keep moving the weights around.

Yesterday the front shocks were replaced......to quote my mechanic "they were absolutely blown".

NZ is a small country with limited resources. Roads are very, very, expensive to build and maintain,.

The road through the Awakino Gorge has never been all that flash but I don't think it's deteriorated to the extent in recent times that some other roads have. Thank God the tunnel bypass is not too far away from being finished. The Mt Messenger bypass can't come soon enough either.

My gripe is with our speed limits - they don't make sense. Either too high or too low.

I worked as a truck driver in the states for 6yrs between '96 - '02.

Prior to moving I was of the opinion our 100 Km/h open rd limit was too low.......however on return I was adamant it was way too high.

If this was America, sections of SH3 SH2 & SH1 such as the desert rd with 45km/h corners would be 55mph (90 km/h).

Divided highways in built up areas are generally 70mph (110km/h). And out west rural interstates are all 75-85mph (130k). And that's for trucks too.

Here, we get 100km/h on windy crapola secondary rds.

Then Transit NZ spend billions of dollars thousands of hours building modern safe four lanes.

The Northern in particular from Albany to the tunnel could be a US rural interstate (except no inner shoulder). So why the 100k limit? It's unreasonably low.

Reasonable is 120 -130.

Same goes for the Waikato Expressway...

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#2709316 18-May-2021 21:06

K8Toledo:

My gripe is with our speed limits - they don't make sense. Either too high or too low.

I worked as a truck driver in the states for 6yrs between '96 - '02.

Prior to moving I was of the opinion our 100 Km/h open rd limit was too low.......however on return I was adamant it was way too high.

If this was America, sections of SH3 SH2 & SH1 such as the desert rd with 45km/h corners would be 55mph (90 km/h).

Divided highways in built up areas are generally 70mph (110km/h). And out west rural interstates are all 75-85mph (130k). And that's for trucks too.

Here, we get 100km/h on windy crapola secondary rds.

Then Transit NZ spend billions of dollars thousands of hours building modern safe four lanes.

The Northern in particular from Albany to the tunnel could be a US rural interstate (except no inner shoulder). So why the 100k limit? It's unreasonably low.

Reasonable is 120 -130.

Same goes for the Waikato Expressway...

I agree with your comments regarding the expressways. However I'm not totally in agreement with respect to your suggestion about parts of SH 1 2 or 3.

I'm of the opinion drivers should drive to the conditions whether that be road conditions (wet/slippery or poor surface) or traffic and time of day or the terrain (hilly/twisty) no matter the speed limit.

I know SH 3 pretty well and I'd be interested to know where you think 80 kph should apply.

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K8Toledo

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#2709390 19-May-2021 07:15

Technofreak:

K8Toledo:

My gripe is with our speed limits - they don't make sense. Either too high or too low.

I worked as a truck driver in the states for 6yrs between '96 - '02.

Prior to moving I was of the opinion our 100 Km/h open rd limit was too low.......however on return I was adamant it was way too high.

If this was America, sections of SH3 SH2 & SH1 such as the desert rd with 45km/h corners would be 55mph (90 km/h).

Divided highways in built up areas are generally 70mph (110km/h). And out west rural interstates are all 75-85mph (130k). And that's for trucks too.

Here, we get 100km/h on windy crapola secondary rds.

Then Transit NZ spend billions of dollars thousands of hours building modern safe four lanes.

The Northern in particular from Albany to the tunnel could be a US rural interstate (except no inner shoulder). So why the 100k limit? It's unreasonably low.

Reasonable is 120 -130.

Same goes for the Waikato Expressway...

I agree with your comments regarding the expressways. However I'm not totally in agreement with respect to your suggestion about parts of SH 1 2 or 3.

I'm of the opinion drivers should drive to the conditions whether that be road conditions (wet/slippery or poor surface) or traffic and time of day or the terrain (hilly/twisty) no matter the speed limit.

I know SH 3 pretty well and I'd be interested to know where you think 80 kph should apply.

Yes I absolutely agree. My thoughts on return were initially biased by the great US roads I'd driven on.

To clarify I meant that US limits are more in tune with the driving conditions - specifically good conditions = higher speed limits (not some BS 10km/5mph increase either).

Ironic then that a safety sign in Dome Valley reads "Make It Home - Drive To The Conditions".

And I do, especially heading home on the Northern. Usually around 9pm no traffic no cops and the cruise set at 140.

That to me is driving to the conditions. :D

As an aside it's only fair to say South Island roads are generally good.

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